Destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov Heads for Cork, Ireland

16.04.2012 In a few weeks, Irish people will have an opportunity to visit a Russian warship – Northern Fleet (NF) destroyer (large ASW ship) Vice Admiral Kulakov.

The ship is expected to call at Cork early in May, Russian defense attaché in Ireland Mikhail Kozyrin told the press. The destroyer left NF main base Severomorsk on Apr 5 heading for the Gulf of Aden in order to attend anti-piracy mission. During several months of deployment, Vice Admiral Kulakov will pay a number of visits and formal calls at foreign ports. Under way to the Gulf of Aden, the ship is going to visit Ireland and expectedly spend at least 3 days there.

The destroyer will anchor at the port of Cobh, opposite Irish Navy's main base Haulbowline. Thus, visiting of the Russian warship will not need any special appointment, since she will not moor at commercial seaport (to visit Russian destroyer Admiral Chabanenko called at Dublin last summer, a registration was required as the ship anchored in commercial port).

As is expected, the ship would be visited by new Russian Ambassador to Ireland Maksim Peshkov; he is to arrive in the country on Apr 17.

Destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov was launched in 1980 and commissioned into Soviet Navy in 1982. In 1988, the ship paid a visit to Havana, Cuba. In 1991, Vice Admiral Kulakov was laid up for repairs in Severomorsk, and then transferred to Kronshtadt. Due to serious financial problems, the overhaul process was drawn out and stopped at all in 1996. Only in 2000, the ship was transferred to Severnaya Verf shipyard, and repair began. Through 10-year long overhaul, the ship was equipped with newest systems and arms. At last, after longstanding replacement of weapons and life support systems, repairs finished in Apr 2010. Later on that year, in Dec 2010 the destroyer arrived in Severomorsk and was recommissioned into Russian Navy's Northern Fleet.